Being connected

I enjoy the opportunity to keep in touch and stay connected to others.

I am a part of virtual social networking sites such as Twitter, Dopplr, Classmates and Flickr, to name a few. The one that occupies most of my time is Facebook because it’s there that I hear from people who are part of my present and past.

Recently, I was “friended” on Facebook by a classmate I had not seen since we were students at Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. We reminisce about the good times and keep in touch occasionally.

Despite living in what I would call a do-it-yourself world, I truly believe that people have a genuine desire to be connected to each other in some way.

We see this manifested in various ways: people gathering to support and encourage each other in the local physical fitness class, or expressing grief and concerns with others during the death of well-known public persons, or standing in solidarity and praying for others in the outbreak of violence and injustice in other parts of the world, or just being with other people for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations, births of children, and so forth.

These are the times in which being connected to a community brings joy as well as support when life becomes difficult.

As Presbyterians and people of faith, not only are we connected virtually, but also as believers in God through Jesus Christ and the Reformed tradition. We pride ourselves on being a “connectional” church. No matter where we are or what may divide us, we all are called to seek out our common unity in Jesus Christ in times of joy and concern. By doing so, we exhibit “the Kingdom of Heaven to the world” (Book of Order, G-1.0200).

As you go through this summer season, my hope and prayer for you is that by whatever means, be it virtually or face-to-face, you will keep the connection to others and to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit in your daily lives and the communities in which you belong.